If you ever have a Filipino friend on Facebook or Twitter you will notice that out of a dozen posts, there’ll be five relating to food. Given that “statistic” it’s no wonder that the hunger incidence in the Philippines (that’s where Manila is, by the way) is so high.

Even while Filipinos are eating, they’ll talk about food — which is the equivalent of trash talking while having sex.

The Philippines is an agricultural country and given the mix of Chinese culture prevalent in almost every province, Filipinos will cook and eat just about anything.

One Filipino version of “bacon” isn’t bacon at all, but salted dried fish called ‘danggit”. Years ago, Manilenyos (people from Manila) went around the world with a stash of tonsuy or tuyo (another variety of salted dried fish) stashed somewhere in their luggage. These days it’s danggit and you’ll know it’s cooking somewhere — it smells like something died.